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It is unquestionably difficult for a UK or European resident to be enthusiastic about Hyatt. The loyalty programme – World of Hyatt – is great, especially for frequent guests. And many Hyatt hotels are, quite frankly, better than their Hilton or Marriott equivalents despite often sharing the same price range. But unfortunately there are very few Hyatt hotels in Europe and there is no way to earn Hyatt points through a UK or European credit card. As a result, World of Hyatt remains irrelevant for the vast majority of InsideFlyer readers, despite the passionate support often provided by bloggers such as yours truly.

But the months-old partnership between Hyatt and Small Luxury Hotels of the World has the potential to change this. Hyatt and SLH have slowly but surely been adding hotels to the Hyatt platform, with another 57 added recently. The total number of SLH hotels participating in World of Hyatt is now 167.

Not only do these additions massively increase Hyatt’s footprint in Europe and beyond, but the partnership also allows for a certain type of traveller – the “I prefer small boutique hotels” types – to participate in a loyalty programme where they can earn and burn points, as well as receive certain perks.

What do World of Hyatt guests receive at SLH hotels?

World of Hyatt members can earn 5 Base Points for every $1 USD spent on qualifying room rates and can redeem points for free nights at participating SLH hotels. It doesn’t stop there, members can also enjoy exclusive in-hotel benefits when staying at a participating SLH hotel.

• Complimentary continental breakfast
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Early check-in 12:00pm (based on availability at check-in)
• Late check-out 2:00pm (based on availability at check-in)
• One category room upgrade (based on availability at check-in)

Which SLH Hotels are Now Available?

I won’t do an exhaustive list, but I suggest that you scroll through the options available on this special website.

But some of the options that have caught my eye are:

• 17 SLH hotels in the United Kingdom, some in London, but many country house manor / castle style properties that would make for a great weekend getaway
• 12 SLH hotels in Spain and Portugal, including several “pousadas” (i.e. historical buildings converted into boutique hotels)
• 22 SLH hotels in Greece, on a variety of different islands. Occasionally less expensive than one might expect…

What About Using Points?

Each SLH hotel (those on the Hyatt platform) has been slotted into Hyatt’s award category system, which looks like this:

The easiest way to look for award pricing is to visit this website and scan through the list of hotels in each award category. It appears to me that SLH hotels are available in Categories 3 and above, starting at a fairly reasonable 12,000 points per night.

Conclusion

Sometimes I find myself jumping ahead to the Small Luxury Hotels of the World website, where I can see all 500+ SLH hotels. But for now, Hyatt and SLH are adding new hotels to the Hyatt platform at a reasonable pace, bringing the total to 167, with more to come…